OECD economic growth accelerates in Q2 2026

Economic growth in OECD countries accelerated slightly in the second quarter of 2026, reaching 0.5 percent compared to 0.4 percent in the first quarter. Out of 30 member countries with available data, 27 reported growth while three remained stagnant.

In contrast, growth among G7 nations slowed from 0.4 percent to 0.3 percent. Within the G7, five of the seven largest economies experienced a deceleration. Germany's growth slowed to 0.2 percent from 0.4 percent, while Italy's growth dipped from 0.3 percent to 0.2 percent. Japan recorded 0.3 percent growth compared to a previous 0.5 percent, and the United Kingdom saw growth of 0.4 percent following a 0.6 percent rate in the first quarter. The United States experienced a slowdown from 0.5 percent to 0.4 percent, attributed primarily to weaker exports, reduced inventories, and a decline in government spending.

Some nations showed resilience or recovery: Canada saw a significant acceleration to 0.8 percent growth after stagnation in the first quarter, and France returned to growth at 0.2 percent following a 0.1 percent contraction in the previous quarter. Ireland and Israel recorded the highest growth rates within the OECD at 3.9 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively.